Physio Couch - Nijmegen

Taking my life back a few months joins my contextual memory to February. A much exciting month for me personally as a student of Physiotherapy for a number of reasons but for now we shall elaborate on a new concept of fun not know to everyone in the world yet, of Physio Couch Surfing.
So what does this mean exactly..........? Taking a trip to the beach with the Therapy Couch for a wee surf after the clients have left during placement time..........? Or taking from the classically know concept of couch surfing with a bunch of other Physiotherapists/students who you don't know........?  I'll leave that answer to your own imagination and for now will elaborate on the latter.

For the first time ever in February 2014 a very few number of people from HAN University in the town Nijmegen, Holland did a great job of organising a 3 Day event to involve students from other country's and regions to enter their view of being a student of Physiotherapy. They managed professionally to not only get 80 students to attend lectures during half term in another country but also accommodation for their 24 hour needs of sleeping, eating and entertainment.

During this time the workshops that took place can be seen:

Program Wednesday 19	Thursday 20	Friday 21	Saturday 22
15.00 – 18.00 Registration For Hosts: Picking up organic breakfast package at ‘praktijkcoaching’ 15:00- 18:00	09.00 – 10.00 Registration 10.30 – Openings ceremony 10.50 – Case ‘walking’, lecture ‘bio-mechanics’ 12.30 - Lunch Break (bring/buy your one lunch) 13.15 – Workshops * Anatomic Lab * Dancing Workshop * Case ‘walking’ 16:45 Last lecture 21.00 Social program at the bar `#BRUUT´ with the live music band ´Pluto34`	08.45 - Case Running with ´pitch lectures´ * Physiology * Communication and different prospectives * Running * Training Coffee break around 10.30 12.15 - Lunch break (bring/buy your one lunch) 13.00 - Workshops * Motor Learning * Communication, consciousness and adaptation * Dancing * Coordination Coffee break around 14.30 16.30 Closing ceremony 21.00 Special activity in the city 21.30 Final party at café de Fuik	Chill out

Depending on what level of education you consider yourself on some of the workshops titles may seem like you may have hear of it all before so why would it be worth your while attending. For myself every second of my time was a worth while investment. Getting someone else point of view from the world wide concepts we study clarified details of what I have learnt before, hearing it from someone else focus of education made me look at things in a different light. Giving an example of using auditory cueing for Rehab patients. This seems to be a bigger focus in the EU than it does in Scotland. I was surprised when nearly every student from the EU counties took out their mobile phones to show me their metronome app  for auditory cueing they would use to encourage their focus during a rehab session. I did question my lecturers in University about this situation and the reply was very pleasant in praising the Dutch in particular for having their own research methods which are sometimes better than the methods in the UK.

Situations like these make you think on a deeper level of education. Just because its not scientifically researched and educated in one country doesn't mean it doesn't work, it just means it hasn't be researched scientifically and educated in your country and educated by your teacher to you. The out come being each country seems to have different interests and focuses. The question being "Why just do what your teacher tells you? Perhaps research more!!!" That is what Physiotherapy's all about.

Taking part in such an Event as Physio Couch gives a sense of belonging to an unspoken community that you would never have had imagined to be so bright and fully in existence. If you have every thought about and never done it the advised message from Nijmegen, Holland would be "To take a small step out of your comfort zone." When done properly success is achievable, inspiration flows, wishes are fulfilled and dreams come true. My advise to you would be,

 "anything you want to do, have thought of to do or have made up ridiculously to do, has actually probably already been done before by many and is sitting about somewhere, probably exactly where you want it to be (with out you even actually knowing it) waiting very patiently for you, with your name written all over it, wanting and very much needing your input on it. Soooooo, why not just go and join it?" S.K.Phimister

COME OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. Its amazing what you can achieve with others. During my time in  Nijmegen altogether we created situations we would not have done alone. Team work is ace. Why not just have a wee dance and take over a train station while your at it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi_Wunj-CIY


Aims of this concept :

• To connect Physio students on an International level making the experience fun, cheaper and remain relevant to the life of a Physiotherapist
• A formal learning experience including the informality's of an abroad experience
• To emphasis the key features of being a Physiotherapist that are carried among Physios Universally including communication skills, open mindedness, remaining flexible and being able to connect with other people of different cultures who have their own ideas.
• To learn to express your own initiative, grow in confidence and support others ideas. 

For more info please feel free to get in touch with myself messaging the face book page embrace2u and or check out Physio Couch Event on Facebook